I haven't blogged in so long that none of this even looks familiar anymore.
Anyway, you know when you're so tired that functionality ceases? You just sit and stare at nothing while thinking about things you should be doing but your fuzzy head can't seem to get itself together long enough to actually accomplish anything?
That's me today.
Last night was without much sleep. There was a broken garbage disposal and a kid puking, then had to get up for school...you know. Normal stuff.
Also, I was thinking...blogs are...I don't know, but I'm not that interested in them anymore. However...I've been doing a lot of family history and wishing I had stories of any sort from my ancestors. So, I'm going to attempt to treat this thing more like a journal. Just little day to day stuff. Probably big stuff too. And maybe my scripture journaling. But mostly for me. I don't care if you read it. Maybe you'll find that you relate more to someone who is just getting by like everyone else.
I hear noises coming from the bathroom and my 18 month old is not within eyesight. I should investigate.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Happy Birthday, Hyrum!
Hyrum is one today! I think back to his birth and I'm just filled with gratitude. I love you, sweet baby!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
The path to eternal life
Recently we had both stake conference and ward conference. There was a sort of theme that I noticed. I don't think it was intentional but I wanted to record some of my thoughts before I forget them.
There was a lot of reference to the straight and narrow path.
Elder Holland spoke at stake conference about how we're all on the same path but that some are further along the path than others. While talking to the youth he said that the reason adults say they understand youth is because we're on the same path, we're just further along because we're older. We've been walking it longer and had more time to learn.
He said the path is not easy. That if we're going through trials, then we know we're actually on the path. He said we all walk through our personal Gethsemane during our lifetime. That the Savior has walked a path and endured a Gethsemane that encompasses all of our own personal trials. Every living being in the history of our world.
Then today at ward conference, President Lee expounded on the path.
He asked "How is a path created?" By walking along an area so many times that a trail is created.
"Who created the path to eternal life?" The Savior. He walked it first. Back and forth til it was prepared for us to travel.
1 Nephi 8:24 talks about the path leading to the tree of life. We often think of the mists of darkness as swirling off to the side of the path. That you must leave the path to be lost in the mists of darkness. But that's not what the scriptures say. "and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree." The mists of darkness swirl over the path. It's not easy to walk the path. We must cling to the rod (the scriptures) to get through the mists of darkness. The mists are our trials. We can't say what any one person is going to endure while they walk the path though life. Perhaps our trial in life will be that we struggle with faith. Perhaps we will spend our entire life leaning on somebody else's testimony. Perhaps we'll struggle with illness, death, depression, loneliness, or addiction. Maybe we'll struggle with our job, our marriage, or our children. This IS the path. This IS the plan. Trials are meant to be part of our life.
The beauty of knowing this is knowing where to turn. Knowing we can turn to the Savior, to HIS words, to His disciples. Knowing that the Savior walked the path. He beat the path for us. He created it so that we could walk it with hope. With the belief that by holding fast to His word, we WILL be saved. We WILL get through the mists of darkness. There is a light for us even if we can't see it in the middle of the darkness.
Elder Holland calls this "the gospel of happy endings."
He also said to be glad if you're broken. God loves broken things especially a broken heart...
"It takes broken clouds to make rain. It takes broken ground to make grain. It takes broken grain to make bread. It takes broken bread to nourish you."
Elder Holland bore his testimony of the Savior. He said he has a perfect knowledge of the living Christ. He spoke of walking through some of his trials on his path. Of wondering if the sun would ever rise for him again. He assured us that the sun did rise for him again and that there is an eventual happy ending for all of us if we hold to our beliefs.
My friend, Tiff, wrote an addition to my thoughts that I'm adding to this because Hyrum was crying while Pres. Lee talked about this part and I only half heard it. Below is copied from her. Thanks, Tiff!
I also loved that our Stake President pointed out that they spell the word "straight" in the scriptures differently. It's not S.T.R.A.I.G.H.T. it is S.T.R.A.I.T. The difference between the two spellings:
Straight: adverb. without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path.
strait: adjective. narrow: Strait is the gate; affording little space; confined in area. Strict, as in requirements or principles.
Strait in the scriptures denotes a narrow way. Not a way lacking in turns or angles. The way is not a STRAIGHT path, but rather a STRAIT path. One that is narrow and difficult to navigate at times. Our path will not be laid out in front of us with no bends or angles so that we can see the end ahead of us at all times. It curves, bends, perhaps turns at sharp angles allowing us vision of only a few steps in front of us. Add to that treacherous path the mists of darkness and we would be totally lost without the Rod. THAT is our guidance. Our saving grace. The Savior built that rod. HE gave us the way through the path because He walked it until it was forever engraved into the world. There can be no covering it up. It has been burned through his blood. All we need is the fortitude to follow it. It will not be easy, but it will bring us eternal life.
I also thought long and hard about the SP's statements around leaving the gospel. He said, "if you are thinking of leaving then you better be sure you are heading toward something better. You better know that they have something better than a physical manifestation of God and Jesus Christ. They better have something better than Peter, James and John returning the Priesthood through their hands. They better have something better than Elias, Elijah, and many others restoring the keys of sealing powers to bind your family to you for eternity. They better have something better than Moroni bringing us the BOM. If you choose to leave, you better make sure what you are leaving for is something BETTER."
There was a lot of reference to the straight and narrow path.
Elder Holland spoke at stake conference about how we're all on the same path but that some are further along the path than others. While talking to the youth he said that the reason adults say they understand youth is because we're on the same path, we're just further along because we're older. We've been walking it longer and had more time to learn.
He said the path is not easy. That if we're going through trials, then we know we're actually on the path. He said we all walk through our personal Gethsemane during our lifetime. That the Savior has walked a path and endured a Gethsemane that encompasses all of our own personal trials. Every living being in the history of our world.
Then today at ward conference, President Lee expounded on the path.
He asked "How is a path created?" By walking along an area so many times that a trail is created.
"Who created the path to eternal life?" The Savior. He walked it first. Back and forth til it was prepared for us to travel.
1 Nephi 8:24 talks about the path leading to the tree of life. We often think of the mists of darkness as swirling off to the side of the path. That you must leave the path to be lost in the mists of darkness. But that's not what the scriptures say. "and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree." The mists of darkness swirl over the path. It's not easy to walk the path. We must cling to the rod (the scriptures) to get through the mists of darkness. The mists are our trials. We can't say what any one person is going to endure while they walk the path though life. Perhaps our trial in life will be that we struggle with faith. Perhaps we will spend our entire life leaning on somebody else's testimony. Perhaps we'll struggle with illness, death, depression, loneliness, or addiction. Maybe we'll struggle with our job, our marriage, or our children. This IS the path. This IS the plan. Trials are meant to be part of our life.
The beauty of knowing this is knowing where to turn. Knowing we can turn to the Savior, to HIS words, to His disciples. Knowing that the Savior walked the path. He beat the path for us. He created it so that we could walk it with hope. With the belief that by holding fast to His word, we WILL be saved. We WILL get through the mists of darkness. There is a light for us even if we can't see it in the middle of the darkness.
Elder Holland calls this "the gospel of happy endings."
He also said to be glad if you're broken. God loves broken things especially a broken heart...
"It takes broken clouds to make rain. It takes broken ground to make grain. It takes broken grain to make bread. It takes broken bread to nourish you."
Elder Holland bore his testimony of the Savior. He said he has a perfect knowledge of the living Christ. He spoke of walking through some of his trials on his path. Of wondering if the sun would ever rise for him again. He assured us that the sun did rise for him again and that there is an eventual happy ending for all of us if we hold to our beliefs.
My friend, Tiff, wrote an addition to my thoughts that I'm adding to this because Hyrum was crying while Pres. Lee talked about this part and I only half heard it. Below is copied from her. Thanks, Tiff!
I also loved that our Stake President pointed out that they spell the word "straight" in the scriptures differently. It's not S.T.R.A.I.G.H.T. it is S.T.R.A.I.T. The difference between the two spellings:
Straight: adverb. without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path.
strait: adjective. narrow: Strait is the gate; affording little space; confined in area. Strict, as in requirements or principles.
Strait in the scriptures denotes a narrow way. Not a way lacking in turns or angles. The way is not a STRAIGHT path, but rather a STRAIT path. One that is narrow and difficult to navigate at times. Our path will not be laid out in front of us with no bends or angles so that we can see the end ahead of us at all times. It curves, bends, perhaps turns at sharp angles allowing us vision of only a few steps in front of us. Add to that treacherous path the mists of darkness and we would be totally lost without the Rod. THAT is our guidance. Our saving grace. The Savior built that rod. HE gave us the way through the path because He walked it until it was forever engraved into the world. There can be no covering it up. It has been burned through his blood. All we need is the fortitude to follow it. It will not be easy, but it will bring us eternal life.
I also thought long and hard about the SP's statements around leaving the gospel. He said, "if you are thinking of leaving then you better be sure you are heading toward something better. You better know that they have something better than a physical manifestation of God and Jesus Christ. They better have something better than Peter, James and John returning the Priesthood through their hands. They better have something better than Elias, Elijah, and many others restoring the keys of sealing powers to bind your family to you for eternity. They better have something better than Moroni bringing us the BOM. If you choose to leave, you better make sure what you are leaving for is something BETTER."
Monday, July 11, 2011
Small Moment Monday x2
We missed last week cause we were out of town, but I have blogs from the kids for both weeks...so here we go!
Monday the 4th
NATHAN
I went to see fireworks with Emily and Ben. I went up on the roof to watch the fireworks. I also went swimming at Grandma's. It was really cold in the water but the second time I just jumped off the diving board and went down the slide a lot.
ARIA
We woke up in the morning and had no idea what to do. Everybody was going out of town so we went too. We got to Fish Hook and went boating. I went swimming in the freezing cold water with worms on the bottom. We had a party with our cousins. It was fun seeing the family.
GABE
My favorite thing was the fireworks. I liked shooting a bottle rocket and the other fireworks. I really, really liked swimming too. I liked the goats too.
CLARA
I snuggled Emma and den Dada and den we went to Grammas and I started to slide and den I jumpeded and den....um...did you jumpeded? Nope. Den Nathan jumped off the diving board and den he slided down. The fireworks blewed up in da sky. Yeah, they flewed up and den blewed up! *giggle*
Pictures from the weekend of the fourth...
Uncle Bud teaching Gabe to shoot at bottle rocket.
And from Grandma's house.
Swimming.
Helping Grandma with the goats and in the garden.
Tubing
On a walk by Rooks park
We saw a blue heron
The girls got too tired to walk
And todays small moments....(this is a really long blog, sorry about that)
NATHAN
I went to see a baseball game with Will. I liked the game. I got two signed cards from Recycle Man and Otto. And then I went to an arena football game and I didn't like it. (funny story...he came home with a couple flags from the game. I asked him if he wanted to keep them or toss them and he said KEEP! So I said "I thought you didn't like football?" And he said "I don't. But I like flags!")
ARIA
I went to my friends house and we went swimming but I was the only one who got wet!!!
GABE
I like everything about the BBQ. Roasting marshmallows was really fun. I like to make them golden brown and make s'mores.
CLARA
Mama's birthday. What did you had? Cake. You had cake and den hot dogs and den ice cream. I gived you a princess ball with a lot of princesses over it. Right?
Monday the 4th
NATHAN
I went to see fireworks with Emily and Ben. I went up on the roof to watch the fireworks. I also went swimming at Grandma's. It was really cold in the water but the second time I just jumped off the diving board and went down the slide a lot.
ARIA
We woke up in the morning and had no idea what to do. Everybody was going out of town so we went too. We got to Fish Hook and went boating. I went swimming in the freezing cold water with worms on the bottom. We had a party with our cousins. It was fun seeing the family.
GABE
My favorite thing was the fireworks. I liked shooting a bottle rocket and the other fireworks. I really, really liked swimming too. I liked the goats too.
CLARA
I snuggled Emma and den Dada and den we went to Grammas and I started to slide and den I jumpeded and den....um...did you jumpeded? Nope. Den Nathan jumped off the diving board and den he slided down. The fireworks blewed up in da sky. Yeah, they flewed up and den blewed up! *giggle*
Pictures from the weekend of the fourth...
Uncle Bud teaching Gabe to shoot at bottle rocket.
And from Grandma's house.
Swimming.
Helping Grandma with the goats and in the garden.
Tubing
On a walk by Rooks park
We saw a blue heron
The girls got too tired to walk
And todays small moments....(this is a really long blog, sorry about that)
NATHAN
I went to see a baseball game with Will. I liked the game. I got two signed cards from Recycle Man and Otto. And then I went to an arena football game and I didn't like it. (funny story...he came home with a couple flags from the game. I asked him if he wanted to keep them or toss them and he said KEEP! So I said "I thought you didn't like football?" And he said "I don't. But I like flags!")
ARIA
I went to my friends house and we went swimming but I was the only one who got wet!!!
GABE
I like everything about the BBQ. Roasting marshmallows was really fun. I like to make them golden brown and make s'mores.
CLARA
Mama's birthday. What did you had? Cake. You had cake and den hot dogs and den ice cream. I gived you a princess ball with a lot of princesses over it. Right?
Monday, June 27, 2011
Our Summer Schedule
The kids and I were talking about our summer schedule and we came up with a plan to keep us busy and having fun.
Small Moment Monday - The kids will each blog a small moment on here since this is our family journal.
Take a hike Tuesday - We'll find a trail or nice area for a hike or walk.
Water Wednesday - Splash Pads and pools!
Throw a ball Thursday - We'll play any game that uses a ball.
Field Trip Friday - We'll find places to go. Nathan has requested the temple to walk around the grounds and I was thinking about one of the old mining towns in the Idaho Panhandle.
And Saturday we'll do family activities since Dave won't be working.
So watch for pictures from all our fun activities!
And without further adieu...
Our first "Small Moment Monday"
Nathan -
i saw dad playing this
i can play this
bye
Aria - She prefers to write with pen and paper, so she wrote it down and I'm typing it in.
One time I went to Boo Radleys and I saw "fart in a can" and "finger tentacles" and it was fun. (P.S. I went with my Grandma and fun fun)
Gabe - Gabe and Clara both dictated their small moment to me. I'm writing the way they said it.
I like going to swimming lessons. Today there was a garage sale at swimming lessons. We got a bunch of stuff for free. I kept putting everything in the car and my mom never know'd it til she went in the front yard. After that we brought it all home. My favorite thing was the stomp rocket.
Clara -
I like roasting mushmellows and hot dogs and making graham crackers and making stuff. My favorite part was going to Maggie's too. (oh hey! My shoes both match and they're pink!) And my favorite part too is going to the libary 3 times. And then my favorite part....I like that picture you made....*and she wandered off*
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Rainy days
I love the rain.
Especially when it's raining hard enough to get wet, it's a warm rain and the sun is still out somewhere.
Yesterday I was cleaning the kitchen when I looked out the window and saw the kids soaking wet in this great downpour. Then I noticed the sun behind them and rainy pictures are awesome when they're backlit so I ran and got my camera.
So fun!
Friday, May 06, 2011
Moms
Moms are everything.
Moms make food like a chef,
when dad screws up at cooking
mom always is a fire woman,
she gives us our medicine like a nurse,
she builds shelves like a builder,
she teachers her kids stuff like a teacher,
she would need to get married and have children,
she would do everything she could.
I want to be a mom to help and raise kids! I love my mother!
-Aria Alger
Moms make food like a chef,
when dad screws up at cooking
mom always is a fire woman,
she gives us our medicine like a nurse,
she builds shelves like a builder,
she teachers her kids stuff like a teacher,
she would need to get married and have children,
she would do everything she could.
I want to be a mom to help and raise kids! I love my mother!
-Aria Alger
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